Contributed by: Larisa Ponarina, Russia National VAW Monitor

The Conference on Human Trafficking was held in Petrozavodsk, Karelia on October 7, 2006. The Russia – Sweden Conference gave a start to the new project on strengthening power bodies in preventing human trafficking. The duration of project implementation is three years.

The expected outcomes of the project are establishing close collaboration on the issues of human trafficking between NGOs and law enforcement agencies of Sweden and north-west of Russia.

Goals and objectives of the Project were identified at the conference. Representatives of courts, prosecutors’ offices, migration services, departments of the interior, crisis centers for women from Sweden, Karelia, Leningrad and Murmansk regions participated at the conference. Participants from Russia represented Karelia Center for Gender Studies, INGO Center from St. Petersburg, Priyut Crisis Center from Murmansk.

Compiled from: The Russia – Sweden Conference against Human Trafficking, OWL.Ru website, October 10, 2006.